


Their Other Half

by sleepismyfriend



Category: Battlestar Galactica (2003)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-03-27
Updated: 2009-03-27
Packaged: 2017-10-10 21:29:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/104485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleepismyfriend/pseuds/sleepismyfriend
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They will pull their loved ones out of the swamp.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Their Other Half

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place during or after 4x18 Deadlock.

The ride back to Colonial One was silent, save for the normal hum of the engines and the slight bumps along the way. Laura's hands remained calmly in her lap until she felt the Raptor make its descent and firmly land. Her eyes never met Lee's as he watched her stand up and wait for the hatch to open.

Laura patiently waited for Lee to step down first, offering his hand as she made contact with the deck and proceeded to pull away from him. Lee watched her walk towards her office for a moment before deciding to follow her.

Laura sighed when she reached her office, unbuttoning her jacket and tossing it to one of the chairs in front of her desk, while maneuvering to the chair behind her desk. Lee followed her lead, shedding his own blazer next to hers as he sat down across from her.

"Long day, huh?" Laura slid off her heels under her desk, pulling her legs under her and resting her head on her right arm. Lee quickly rolled up his sleeves and leaned back in the chair for a moment.

"Something like that," Lee replied, his thoughts obviously clouding his conversation. "It never ends, does it?"

"Which part? Being president? Or being your father's babysitter?"

"Both," Lee smirked, although not feeling as happy as he would have liked, under the circumstances. He leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees.

"Sometimes I forget when I'm the President, and when I'm just a glorified babysitter," Laura sighed disapprovingly, pulling her glasses from her face and tossing them on the desk to rub her nose. "The two seem to go hand in hand nowadays."

"Is that why we're here?" Lee asked, throwing Laura off guard as she sat forward, uncurling her legs to lean on the desk.

"It's been a long day, Lee," Laura said, her voice lowering.

"You're not answering my question."

"I don't have to."

"Maybe not," Lee paused, standing up to put his hands in his pockets. "As the President… Presidents don't have to explain themselves to anyone, remember? But I'm not asking you as the Vice-President to the President. I'm asking you as Lee to Laura. I'm asking you as…"

_Son to mother_, both thought to themselves for only a moment, even though they both knew what was official and what was unofficial. Laura's single status still remained intact. "…someone who's concerned."

"I understand."

"You're the only one he'll talk to, Laura," Lee's voice calmed down a bit. "There's no one else left to pull him from this. He'll listen to you."

"Lee," Laura stood up, making her way over to the sofa so that she could sit next to him and talk this out without the boundary of the president between them.. "Your father is in a lot of pain right now. I'm not sure of the good it would ever do for me to go over there. He doesn't need me hovering and stewing about his choices. He's a grown man."

"He's a grown man, yes," Lee replied. "But that doesn't always make him right."

"I know," Laura put her hands over Lee's as a sign of comfort.

"So, really what are we going to do?" Lee sighed. "We can't just let him continue on like this. It was one thing when he found out about Col. Tigh; another when we all saw Earth. But losing you? Losing Galactica? He might as well just give up."

"The Chief is fixing Galactica," Laura ignored the part about her. She knew about the organic compound Tyrol had brought over from the Baseship.

"It doesn't matter. It's still a part of him, a rotting part of him at that. No matter how good the Chief fixes Galactica, he's still going to remember that she's no longer the same Battlestar that he defends."

"Nothing can stay the same, Lee. Even your father knows that."

"Well, what about you?" Lee posed the question she knew he'd eventually ask. "You know, it's probably not my place, is it?"

"As you said," Laura replayed so many memories in her mind. "You're someone who's concerned about him. I wouldn't expect anything less from Kara, or even Saul."

"Well, both of them appear to be tied up with other things at the moment," Lee tried to smile. "So I guess you're just stuck with me…"

That was when Laura realized that Lee hadn't let go of her hands. "I know you love him, and I know that he needs you right now."

"Sometimes, things are just not that simple, Lee," Laura felt the tears welling up in her eyes.

"Well then, make them that simple, Laura," Lee replied. "You don't want this presidency, but you don't want anyone else to have it. You say you're tired and worn out with all of this? Well, guess what? So is he… It's not fair to anyone, but it is what it is until it isn't."

Laura tried not to laugh.

"Are you giving me a hypothetical?" Laura wiped the water from her eyes.

"I don't know," Lee smiled. "Maybe? I'm just trying to bring my family together again. You know, solve the squabbles between Mom and Dad? I'm just a little less pro-active about this than Kara would have been."

"We all made choices, Lee," Laura put a hand on his shoulder, thinking of Kara. "All of us. Some of them worked out good, some of them worked out bad, but we still made them. I just don't want to see you make the same bad choices that I made."

"I know."

"You know, you say that your father needs me? That I'm the only one who can pull him out of whatever stupor he's in? Well, I think you should look at taking your own advice, and reach out to Kara."

"What?"

"You know what happened to Sam, and you know that it's probable that he will never wake up from this. If I'm the only one who can save Bill Adama from drinking, then you sir, are the only one who will ever pull Kara Thrace out of the swamp she's living in right now," Laura's eyes locked with Lee's, and he saw the fire and determination behind them.

"And here I thought I wasn't going to have to play superhero today," Lee smirked uncertainly.

"Maybe, but not too long ago, I didn't think I'd wake up and become President of the Twelve Colonies," Laura smiled back at him. "I think we've wasted enough time without the people we love, don't you?"

Laura stood up, and Lee stood up with her. For a moment, she took her hand and gently pressed it to Lee's cheek, and he just stood there. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Just… Everything," he smiled, and walked to grab their coats. Lee helped Laura slide into her while he put his over his arm. Both of them walked exactly back the way they came.


End file.
